Bank protecting means



July 30, 1935. c R. TIGERT BANK PROTECTING MEANS Filed April '7, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet l Patented July 30, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BANK PROTECTING MEANS Clyde R. Tigert, Upland, Calif. Application April 7, 1933, Serial Na. 664,967

1 Claim.

its and similar criminals.

One of the principal objects of this inventionis the production of a simple and efficient means releasable by a teller or other operator, forautomatically projecting a shield in front of the teller, and at the same time discharging a charge of tear gas in the face of the would-be hold-up bandit.

Another object of this invention is the provision of a simple and efiicient means for automatically moving the protector .shield to an extended position behind which the teller may take refuge to prevent personal injury to himself.

A further object of this invention is the provision of a simply designed shield which will prevent bullets impacting against the shield from rocketing off with the danger of iniury to other persons. I I

A still further object of this invention is the production of a simple and eilicient mechanism for controlling the automatic discharge of tear gas and the automatic extension of the protector shield to an operative position simultaneously upon the release of a trigger mechanism to be operated by the foot of the teller orother operator.

With these and other objects in View, this in-,

vention consists in certain novel constructions, combinations and arrangements of parts as'will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a rear elevation of a bank tellers cage, certain portions of the apparatus bein shown in section, the shield and cartridge discharge mechanism being shown in a set or cooked position;

Figure 2 is a section taken on line 22 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a section taken on line 33 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is an enlarged side elevation of the trigger mechanism for releasing the cartridge discharge plunger; 7

Figure 5 is a section taken on line 5-5 of Figure 1;

Figure 6 is an enlarged vertical section taken on line 66 of Figure 1; V

Figure 7 is a fragmentary inside view of the lower portion of the shield showing the lifting spring attached thereto; and

Figure 8 is an enlarged side elevation partly' in section of the cartridge discharge plunger supporting bracket and releasing trigger.

By referring to the drawings, it will be seen that I designates the conventional counter as employed in banks and other institutions of similar character, which supports a cage 2 having suitable bars 3. At the lower end of the bars 3 is mounted a shield rail 5 having a plurality of perforations 5 arranged in spaced relations for the purpose of discharging tear gas or other medium at a selected time in the face of a wouldbe criminal, or hold-up bandit. The shield rail 4 preferably extends around the service opening 6 and the discharge openings or perforations 5 in the rail 4 communicate with a feed passage I, the feed passage I communicating with a cartridge containing cy1inder8 preferably hung below the counter. I, as shown in Figures 1 and 3, in which a suitable tear gas cartridge or other medium 9 is mounted, this cartridge 9 being adapted to be fired by a spring pressed plunger IIl carried by the hanger bracket I I and working therethrough, as shown in Figures 1, 3 and 8. The plunger I 0 carries a coil spring I2 which is interposed between the bottom of the hanger bracket Ii and the trigger engaging disc I3, normally exerting an expansive upward movement upon the plunger It for directing. the plunger lII upwardly to discharge the tear gas car ridge 9 as soon as released. The hanger bracket I! is provided with a depending lip I i upon which is pivotally mounted the plunger engaging trigger I5 by means of a pivot pin I6, as shown in Figure 8. This trigger I5 is provided with an overhanging tongue I! which engages the disc I3 of the plunger I0 and normally holds the plunger III in a cocked or retracted position. The trigger i5 is provided with 3 a projecting arm I8, which arm I8 normally rests in engagement with a laterally extending lug or pin I9 carried by one side near the bottom of the vertically moving shield 20.

Extending through the counter and normally hanging below the counter, is the shield 20 previously mentioned, which shield is preferably provided with a rail 2I along its upper edge adapted to normally rest in a countersunk groove 22 formed in the top of the counter. This shield 20 is preferably substantially V-shaped in crosssection having its apex 23 facing toward the front of the cage, the side edges of the shield 20 being curved in a forward direction to produce substantially vertically extending semi-circular concavoconvex side walls 24, the shield being so constructed as to prevent the rocketing of bullets discharged to impact against the shield and prevent the flying of the bullets 01f at a tangent with the danger of injuring innocent bystanders. As shown in Figure 2, the marginal edges of the shield are curbed backwardly to extend substantially paralle1 with the respective front inclined faces of the V-shaped shield 20. The body of the shield 20 is also provided with a rail or stop flange 25. The flanges at the top and bottom will also constitute an efiicient means for stifiening and bracing the shield and this shield is adapted to pass through a suitable channel or slot 25 formed in the counter, which will also assist in maintaining the shield in its proper shape and guide the shield in its upward movement. The lower end of the shield 20 is preferably braced by means of the bracing straps 21 which are secured to the rear face of the shield near the lower end thereof, and these straps pass around the hanger track 28, which track is substantially U-shaped in structure having laterally extending feet 29 secured to the under face of the counter I. These bracing straps will constitute runners for traveling on the track 28 and assist in keeping the shield 28 in proper alignment in its travel.

Secured to the rear face of the shield 28 near the lower end thereof, is a trigger engaging bracket 38 which projects rearwardly and is adapted to be engaged by the hooked shaped end 3! of the foot releasing trigger 32, which trigger 32 is pivotally secured, as at 33, to a supporting bracket as which is anchored upon the transversely extending bar 35 of the hanger track 28. The trigger 32 is provided with a rearwardly extending foot engaging or treadle tongue 36 which is adapted to be engaged by the foot of the operator, and as this treadle tongue is depressed, the hooked shaped end 3! will be drawn out of engagement with the bracket 38. The hooked shaped end 3| is normally held in engagement with the bracket 38 by means of the coil spring 3'! which is anchored at one end to the bracket 34, as shown in Figure 6, and at the other end, as at 38, as is also shown in Figure 6. The end of the hook (it and the edge of the bracket 30 are properly beveled to facilitate engagement.

Secured to the front face of the shield 26 near the lower end thereof, is a spring engaging shoe 39 which is provided with a laterally extending flange 49 preferably turned up slightly near its side edge and under which extends a contractile coil spring M, the ends of the spring a! being connected to the underface of the counter l by means of suitable eyelets 42. The spring M passes across the ends of the flange 40 and lies close to the shield 20, as shown in Figure 2. This structure will tend to prevent the spring 4! from accidentally jumping out of position.

The operation of the device is as foll0ws:- Should a hold-up bandit approach the cage behind which the teller is standing, the tongue 36 which actuates the trigger 32 may be depressed by the foot of the teller, thereby disengaging the hook (it from the bracket 38 whereupon the tension of the coil spring ll will immediately shoot the shield 25 in an upward direction to the position shown in dotted lines in Figure 3 and this movement will swing the trigger i5 in view of the fact that the pin ill will trip the arm it; of the trigger and move the overhanging tongue i1 out of engagement with the disc i3, whereupon the spring I? will force the plunger ill upwardly for firing the cartridge 9 within the cylinder 8 and eject the tear gas or other medium out through the passage 1 and the discharge ports or apertures 5.

Should it be desired, a suitable signal, indicated in general by the letter S may be used in conjunction with the apparatus to be actuated when the shield 28 is sprung for elevation. This signal may be of any type desired, and is only shown in diagrammatic View in Figure 3 and may be placed at any suitable or convenient point without departing from the spirit of the invention.

It should be understood that certain detail changes in mechanical construction may be employed without departing from the spirit of the invention so long as these changes fall within the scope of the appended claim, and that other mechanical, electric, pneumatic, or other means may be employed for raising the shield to a protecting position in substitution for the spring 4!, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

A device of the class described comprising a vertically movable shield, a pivotally mounted trigger engaging said shield for holding the same in an inoperative position, a treadle for actuating said trigger, a counter for supporting said shield, an expansible spring anchored at its respective ends to said counter, a shoe carried by the lower end of said shield, said spring extending under said shoe and adapted to automatically raise said shield to a protecting position as said trigger is released from said shield, a hanger track carried by said counter and extending parallel with said shield, and means carried by said shield and passing around said hanger track for guiding said shield in its sliding movement.

CLYDE R. TIGERT. 

